When operation of a teletype typewriter is discontinued for a period, the feed rollers which are normally resiliently urged toward the platen to cause the paper to be fed by friction around the platen as the platen turns, are released by a conventional lever. This moves the feed rollers away from the platen, so that a new supply of paper may be fed through when operation is resumed. However, when the operator feeds new paper between the feed rollers and the platen, particularly when multiple copy paper is ued, sufficient friction may be encountered so that the operator has a false impression that the feed rollers are engaging the paper and thus overlooks restoration of the release lever to its paper feed position. In addition, with the prior types of release lever, one operator may attempt to sabotage the machine of a second operator against whom the first operator has a grudge, as when the second operator leaves his or her machine for some reason. This is accomplished by surreptitiously pushing the release lever of a second operator's machine, so that the paper will no longer be fed and the machine will continue to type on a single line. Such sabotage is, of course, impossible with a sprocket feed, but this requires much more expensive paper.
Among the objects of this invention are to overcome this problem by the provision of a device for holding a release lever in a release position until the teletype is started again but then restore the release lever to the position in which the feed rollers will engage the paper sufficiently; to provide such a device which will prevent sabotage through surreptitious movement of the release lever; to provide such a device which is also useful on an electric typewriter; to provide such a device which will operate effectively and efficiently; and to provide such a device which is readily applied to a teletype or electric typewriter, is inexpensive to manufacture and is comparatively simple in design.